276 – HGL 276

276

Eui-jae hurriedly got up. Something wet dropped with a thud, but he had no time to care. He rubbed his face and eyes, blinking repeatedly, but he couldn’t see any light. Nothing. Only darkness.

‘My eyes….’

Eui-jae rubbed his mouth. Could this be the penalty? How long would the penalty last anyway? Was it temporary, or would it continue? Eui-jae groped around. Soft, heavy fabric and a warm floor. Probably a blanket. He continued to grope around and grabbed something damp. Lukewarm….

‘A towel?’

Eui-jae stretched the towel out. It seemed someone had been nursing him. No wonder there was moisture left on his forehead. Eui-jae wiped his neck and neatly folded the towel, placing it beside him. Fortunately, it seemed his Awakening ability had returned in place of his sight, as he could vividly feel the movements outside. His body, which had been heavy with fever and pain, was also fine.

“……”

Eui-jae let out a small sigh and glared with his eyes.

Flames began to rise one by one in the darkness. One small flame and two large flames were wandering around. And nearby…. There was one flame that wasn’t moving. Eui-jae sighed in relief. This was enough. Enough to fight, and enough to pretend nothing was wrong.

There was no need to say anything and cause unnecessary worry.

‘I can’t be a burden.’

J without his ability was useless. He had shown his weak side enough. There was no need to reveal his incompetence any further. He had to prove his worth. Someone’s voice echoed in his head.

‘Prove it.’

‘Do what you have to do.’

‘Don’t rely on anyone.’

‘After all, you are….’

“……”

Eui-jae roughly wiped his face. Then, he rummaged through his Inventory and took out his mask. Click, a sense of stability came over him as he covered his face with the mask. He could also hide his eyes, which were wandering aimlessly in the air. Eui-jae stroked the smooth mask and took a deep breath.

‘Good…. Enough.’

A purple flame was approaching. Eui-jae got out of the soft blanket and opened the door. The smell of wood and earth from the wooden floor, the crackling sound of firewood burning, and the heat that reached where he was. Even the scent of pine needles.

‘Lee Sa-young said it was definitely where Hong Ye-seong was.’

This was probably Hong Ye-seong’s suite house he had visited during the Artisan Exhibition. This must be the wooden veranda where Hong Ye-seong had been lying sprawled out. Eui-jae tapped the wooden floor with his bare feet.

“Hyung?”

Then Lee Sa-young’s voice was heard. Eui-jae turned to where the sound came from. A purple flame was looking at him. Eui-jae shrugged.

“Yeah.”

“How’s your body? Don’t you still have a fever? If you move around like that….”

An arm reached out and stopped. Eui-jae keenly captured every single movement. And he naturally grabbed Sa-young’s arm and patted it.

“I got up because I’m okay. I’m fine.”

“……”

He couldn’t see it, but he knew. He was probably looking at him with a disbelieving expression. Or maybe he was sneering. Eui-jae clenched his fist.

“Ah, I really am okay. My strength is back. Whatever that cold was, it’s gone. If you don’t believe me, do you want to hit me? Or should I hit you?”

“Aha.”

Sa-young scoffed. The laughter mixed with the hiss of the Gas mask. He was wearing a Gas mask. Check. Sa-young withdrew the arm that had been grabbed.

“You sound like you’re back to normal. You’re not thinking about how you were groaning in pain a while ago.”

“Was it you who put the towel on me?”

“Who else would it be?”

“Our Sa-young knows how to nurse people too. You’ve grown up so much.”

“Huh.”

Sa-young let out a dumbfounded laugh as he patted his shoulder.

“Who are you treating like a kid….”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Eui-jae replied insincerely and asked, rubbing the wooden veranda with his bare feet.

“Where are my shoes?”

“They’re here, on the stone.”

“Ah.”

Sa-young clicked his tongue as Eui-jae exclaimed like a fool, just like Hong Ye-seong.

“What do you mean you’re okay. You’re out of your mind…. Sit down. If I leave you alone, you’ll fall over while putting on your shoes.”

Okay, I should act like Hong Ye-seong for a while. Eui-jae obediently sat on the veranda, focusing on Sa-young’s actions and every sound. Rustle, the sound of fabric brushing against each other, and thud, the sound of something touching the floor. Had he bent down? A cold hand grabbed Eui-jae’s ankle. The feel of leather. He was wearing gloves.

The hand carefully caressed Eui-jae’s ankle. The touch that caressed the protruding anklebone, the instep, and the upper part of the ankle was quite gentle. The voice echoed because of the Gas mask.

“There are no scars on this side.”

“Well…. I didn’t hurt my ankles or legs.”

“Unexpected…. I thought you’d have at least one scar from running around so much.”

The hand that had been gently stroking the anklebone stopped and lifted his foot slightly. Then, something hard and cold touched his instep with a thud. What was it? Since he couldn’t see anything, he had to rely on his imagination.

‘Ah.’

I see. The Gas mask filter.

No, wait. Isn’t this kind of like a kiss? Eui-jae tensed his foot. A low chuckle was heard.

“What’s wrong?”

Eui-jae gritted his teeth and replied.

“Don’t mess around and hurry up. Huh? Honeybee should be here too, right?”

“It’s okay. She’s still busy looking for Hong Ye-seong.”

Come to think of it. Eui-jae glanced at the still flame. The one over there was Romantic Opener, the one running around busily was Honeybee, and the small flame was probably Cluck. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t feel Hong Ye-seong’s presence.

“That’s right. Hong Ye-seong isn’t here.”

“Did you check with your skill?”

“Yeah. I’m looking at it now, and there are only traces of us… and something that looks like Cluck.”

“Did he just open the Shield and disappear…. Tsk.”

Sa-young clicked his tongue. At the same time, he felt his foot being enveloped by a shoe. The sound of laces rubbing against each other. Sa-young was tying the Walker’s laces. Sa-young pulled the laces tight and asked.

“Is this tight enough?”

“Yeah.”

Eui-jae nodded. Sa-young, who had skillfully tied the laces, grabbed the other foot. Wasn’t this too much care? He felt embarrassed, like he had become a child. When was the last time someone put on his shoes and tied his shoelaces? He couldn’t even remember. Well, his parents probably did it when he was young.

Eui-jae stared at the purple flame. He couldn’t even remember his parents’ faces clearly anymore. Not even a single picture was left, and too much time had passed. All he remembered was his parents’ resident registration numbers. Useless numbers. Eui-jae blurted out.

“Do you, do you remember what your parents were like?”

“……”

Sa-young, who had been silent, asked.

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“I don’t remember very well. I was wondering if you remembered.”

Sa-young replied nonchalantly.

“I don’t remember either. It was too long ago.”

“I guess so….”

Eui-jae recalled the moment he first met Sa-young. He could recall that moment more clearly than anything else. The gap in the broken building, the hand reaching out with difficulty. The two people who were hugging Lee Sa-young as if protecting him, even with their bodies melted from being covered in Poison. They were definitely Sa-young’s parents. Eui-jae murmured.

“They must have been good people.”

“All of a sudden?”

“When I first saw you…. Two people were holding you. Even though they had already passed away.”

“……”

“I was able to save you thanks to them.”

If they hadn’t been a Shield, Sa-young would have died a long time ago. Without meeting Eui-jae. He would have become one of the people Eui-jae couldn’t save, without becoming the only one, just one of those deaths.

“…I see.”

Eui-jae stared blankly at the purple flame. Was meeting Lee Sa-young a coincidence, or was it fate? Eui-jae pretended to look up at the sky for no reason. At the sky he couldn’t see anything in.

“Anyway, that’s what happened.”

“You’re being sentimental…, for once.”

“I guess it’s because I got sick and got up.”

Eui-jae fidgeted with the foot he had his shoe on for no reason. Sa-young, who was tying the laces of the other shoe, muttered.

“Why. Is it uncomfortable? Should I tie it again.”

“No, it’s just….”

“Just?”

“This is a little… embarrassing.”

“……”

He could tell without looking. He probably had a face that said, ‘What nonsense are you talking about?’ But what could he do if that’s how he really felt. Eui-jae slyly turned his head to avoid the unseen gaze. Sa-young put strength into the hand that was holding his ankle.

“…You know you’re talking nonsense right now. You know, right? You must know, that’s why you’re saying it.”

Eui-jae didn’t back down and replied.

“No, it’s just that I look like a little kid like this. It’s embarrassing!”

“Ah…. Why, should I make it even more embarrassing for you? Should I make it so you can’t even lift your face?”

“Get lost, you jerk!”

Eui-jae nimbly broke free from Sa-young’s grasp and stood up as if bouncing. But Sa-young stubbornly clung to him. Whoosh, an arm flew to grab his wrist. Eui-jae quickly leaned back to avoid it. Another arm flew right away. Clack, clack, clack, several moves were exchanged in an instant. A smile gradually appeared on his face.

Ah, this is more fun than I thought?

Fighting with just my senses is doable. The moment he thought that, he felt a presence from the kiln. Not Honeybee and Cluck, but a completely different presence.

‘…Hong Ye-seong?’

The moment he turned his head, a rough hand grabbed Eui-jae by the collar. Crap! Eui-jae quickly turned his head back. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see Sa-young’s expression.

Click, the sound of the Gas mask being unlocked was heard. Ominous. His survival instincts had only developed more sharply since he lost his sight. Eui-jae hurriedly pointed to the kiln.

“Hey, over there! Over there!”

“I know.”

Thud, the sound of the Gas mask falling was heard. Eui-jae tried to remove the hand that was grabbing his collar, but Lee Sa-young was holding his clothes hostage. He was holding on so tightly that if he tried to remove it like this, his top would be torn off. Eui-jae urgently added.

“I’m telling you, I think Hong Ye-seong is here?”

“I know that too.”

Sa-young’s clear breathing gradually came closer. Eui-jae tilted his head back as much as possible, but it was useless.

A hand reached for his mask. Damn it. Eui-jae tightly closed his eyes. But it was all the same whether he did or not, since he couldn’t see anyway.

Should I kick him? No, that would be a bit too much. Since he couldn’t hit Lee Sa-young, there was only one way. Eui-jae lowered his head forward with all his might. Huh? Sa-young let out a dumbfounded laugh.

“What are you doing?”

What am I doing. This is to gain momentum. Eui-jae forcefully threw his lowered head back―

And slammed the thick wooden pillar of the Hanok with the back of his head.

Crash!

The thick wood snapped.